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A review by madamstassica
Songs for the Butcher's Daughter by Peter Manseau
4.0
Between the historical research that went into this book, and the complexity of the characters, I very much enjoyed this novel. There are so many levels of appreciation, I'm not even sure I can recall them all.
First and foremost I loved how the journey of the characters represented the journey that ancestors of American Jewry experienced. From the pogroms in Russia, to pioneers in Israel (then Palestine), to Ellis Island, to New York City sweatshops...I loved the Jewish history that this book represents.
What I strongly appreciated about the historical aspects was the core issue of language. The author managed to capture the struggle within the Jewish population of how to proceed with their culture during this time period. It was a very intense argument that took place within Judaism. Some felt that Hebrew was the language that kept the Jewish people unique, and that if they were ever to reclaim their right over Israel, Hebrew would need to be the official language. Others felt that Yiddish best represented the Jews, while others (especially in America) felt that the Jewish people needed to forfeit their uniqueness and assimilate with the language (and therefor culture) they were surrounded by. Songs For The Butchers daughter beautifully illustrated this struggle and depicted representatives from all sides of the historical debate. More specifically it captures the way Yiddish began to die out among the Jewish population in the 1900's, which is an important part of history yet is severely under represented.
I am excited to refer this book to anyone who is interested in Jewish history. It is both an interesting story with well written characters, as well as a good resource for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of this time period and culture.
First and foremost I loved how the journey of the characters represented the journey that ancestors of American Jewry experienced. From the pogroms in Russia, to pioneers in Israel (then Palestine), to Ellis Island, to New York City sweatshops...I loved the Jewish history that this book represents.
What I strongly appreciated about the historical aspects was the core issue of language. The author managed to capture the struggle within the Jewish population of how to proceed with their culture during this time period. It was a very intense argument that took place within Judaism. Some felt that Hebrew was the language that kept the Jewish people unique, and that if they were ever to reclaim their right over Israel, Hebrew would need to be the official language. Others felt that Yiddish best represented the Jews, while others (especially in America) felt that the Jewish people needed to forfeit their uniqueness and assimilate with the language (and therefor culture) they were surrounded by. Songs For The Butchers daughter beautifully illustrated this struggle and depicted representatives from all sides of the historical debate. More specifically it captures the way Yiddish began to die out among the Jewish population in the 1900's, which is an important part of history yet is severely under represented.
I am excited to refer this book to anyone who is interested in Jewish history. It is both an interesting story with well written characters, as well as a good resource for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of this time period and culture.